6. GROWING FUEL

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CHAPTER 6

GROWING FUEL


Sahil Kirpalani
GROWING FUELS




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Biomass Energy:

  • It is one of the most promising ways to reduce Co2 burning coal and natural gas
  • Nonfood bio products can be burnt with combustion technology to produce electricity and heat
  • It is a renewable source as plants grow through photosynthesis, which uses the sun
  • Another plant can replace the one used for energy
  • When people think of bio fuels, their mind jumps to filling their cars with biofuels. However, there are many variations of biofuels that are effective but overlooked


Production:

  • Biofuels can be produced from virgin trees, forest waste, food crops, energy crops (switch grass, sweet sorghum), and from waste (municipal, agricultural, industrial) as these have organic materials

  • Can be used to produce electricity, thermal energy, and liquid fuels

  • Can be modified to produce biomaterials

  • Excluding the burning of wood, more than 90% of biomass is used for thermal energy for industrial processes, space heating and generators


The 3 generations:

Ethanol (first generation):

  • Ethanol has been used to try and substitute petroleum based liquid fuels

  • US is interested in ethanol made from corn that can be used in the place of gasoline in vehicles

  • The corn wasn’t a good solution, as was later decided as its emissions were too high, and the rewards were not as great as they could be.

  • Corn plantations took too much land- another problem


  • Technology used to produce corn, palm oil, soy and other materials into vehicle fuel release almost as much co2 as the petroleum being replaced. This causes a small controversy

  • Ethanol is blamed for the destruction of forests around the world5833062.jpg

  • This threatens biodiversity, and adds more greenhouse gases and pollution to the atmosphere

  • Despite all of this, the drive to stop depending on oil has forced technology and the popularity of ethanol and biodiesel to go up around the world

  • The process include the plant’s starches are converted into sugar- mashing

  • Sugarcane in Brazil is better than Corn based ethanol: heavy rainfall, cheap labor, and sunlight

  • This provides an alternative to the problem- filled corn system




Second Generation technology
  • It Is more beneficial
  • Uses fast growing trees and waste streams with a higher cellulose content
  • Feedstock plants flourish on land that is unsuitable for food crops- this eliminates environmental and geographical issues.
  • They don’t need petroleum incentive
  • Cell structure broken down, this releases their sugars.



algae-biofuel-of-future_1.jpgThird Generation technology:
  • New molecules that can be mixed directly with petroleum based substances to eliminate blending problems
  • Biofuels can be created from algae
  • Scientists are working on a process that will allow them to break down the cell walls of cellulosic plants such as switch grass, and turn them into biofuel




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Garbage Power:
  • Landfill gas is half methane and half Co2
  • Process of Methane extracted from Landfills includes vertical extraction wells are drilled into the landfills; a pipe is connected to take the methane to a central location where it is processed.
  • This wastes the opportunity to use methane as energy
  • Methane can be a very useful energy source
  • US enacted a landfill rule: all methane has to be flared or used productively
  • This is a work in progress, and more and more companies have started to use methane/ garbage power
  • Methane saves electricity cost, and it is plentiful
  • It is a productive way to use our waste


Some points to make sure we use biofuels properly:
  • Harvesting should not cause the destruction of habitats, forests, and therefore biodiversity of a region

  • Co2 emissions should be minimized

  • Water should be used sustainably and should used appropriately

  • All technology should be sustainable

  • Ethanol hasn’t proven effective, but has improved income for farmers


Random Facts (I didn’t know where to place these):

  • Process called syngas- used in Europe
  • High temperature technique that can extract energy more efficiently than burning

  • In The European Union, the burning of Biomass accounts for 2/3 of all renewable energy

  • In 2007, the United States of the Council on Sustainable Biomass Production:


  • Includes farmers, producers, refiners, oil companies, biotech companies, federal officials, and academic researchers: growing in popularity

  • New technology to create liquid fuels from nonfood crops is close to going commercial

  • The emissions from automobiles running on ethanol- corn or sugarcane are less than gasoline`

  • Agriculture is petroleum intensive, and net corn based ethanol emissions equal the emissions from gasoline.

  • Even if the US corn crop were devoted to the production of ethanol, it would only supply only 13.4 % of the current nation’s gasoline usage.

  • Thermal energy and electricity from Biomass:
  • Biomass is cheaper than solar electricity
  • More expensive than wind
  • Believed that the best use of Biomass electricity is to use it as a source of heating

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